


John Deere Green

by a_single_plum



Series: Silly Love Songs [3]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Billy Hargrove & Maxine "Max" Mayfield Have a Good Relationship, Billy Hargrove Tries to Be a Better Person, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Post-Season/Series 03, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:15:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22704553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_single_plum/pseuds/a_single_plum
Summary: Lucas forgets to get Max a Valentine's present. Billy & Steve save the day.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove & Lucas Sinclair, Billy Hargrove & Steve Harrington, Maxine "Max" Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair
Series: Silly Love Songs [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1671787
Comments: 2
Kudos: 29





	John Deere Green

**Author's Note:**

> Title and inspiration taken from the awesome 90s country song "John Deere Green" by Joe Diffie.
> 
> This is a contrived mess of a plot and I feel like everyone is kind of OOC but I've loved the song since I was a kid and this was so much fun to write. Hope you enjoy anyway, and thanks for reading! :) And Happy Valentine's Day!

It was lunchtime on the day before Valentine's Day when Lucas realized he'd screwed up.

Max had a dentist appointment, so she hadn't been in school that morning, leaving Lucas to eat lunch with just Mike, Will, and Dustin. Mike was talking about teddy bears and chocolates, and Dustin was going on about Suzie and a special radio date. Slowly it dawned on Lucas that they were discussing their Valentine's plans for their girlfriends.

"Oh crap," he said.

"What?" Will asked.

"When is Valentine's Day again?" Lucas said.

"Tomorrow." Will made a face. "I can't wait until it's over!"

Lucas had a sinking feeling in his stomach. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten about Valentine's Day. Max wasn't into all that mushy romantic stuff, but he knew it was a pretty big mistake to not even acknowledge the holiday. She'd be even more annoyed when she found out Lucas hadn't bothered to do anything while Mike had at least gotten El a present. He frowned, thinking. Maybe he could take Max to the arcade. But that didn't seem special enough. He decided his best bet was to find a ride to the mall two towns over after school and hope he could find a present for Max.

"Hey, Will?" he asked hopefully. "Is your mom picking you up?"

"No," Will said. "She's working. I'm going home with Mike."

"Dustin!" he said. "Is Steve working today?"

"Huh?" Dustin, his mind still on Suzie, took a minute to register what Lucas was asking. "Oh, yeah. He's there until 7."

"Crap," Lucas said again.

He spent the rest of the school day trying to come up with a plan. He barely even noticed when Max returned and rushed up to him, smiling widely.

"Hello?" she said, waving her hand in front of his face when he didn't acknowledge her. "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Lucas said. "Just... thinking."

"Well, don't think so hard," Max teased. When Lucas didn't respond, she frowned. "Ok. I'm going to class. I don't want to interrupt your thinking."

"Sorry," Lucas said. He mustered up a smile and reached for Max's hand.

At the end of the school day, waiting with Max for Billy to pick her up, he still had no idea what to do. He made an effort to act normal, and she seemed to have forgiven him for being distracted earlier. When Billy pulled up, Max gave Lucas a quick kiss on the cheek.

"See you tomorrow!" she said.

"See you tomorrow," Lucas echoed. He watched her dash off to her stepbrother's car, her long red hair flying out behind her.

Her stepbrother's _car_. Lucas suddenly had an idea.

He went to get his bike. Dustin was unlocking his own bike in the space next to Lucas.

"You going straight home?" Dustin asked.

"No," Lucas said. "I'm going on a mission."

*****

"Are you sure about this?" Dustin asked, panting.

"Yes," Lucas said. "He's not possessed anymore, and you know he apologized for before."

"Yeah, but he's still a total jerk," Dustin said.

"Look, you'd do anything for Suzie, right?" Lucas said.

"Of course," Dustin said. "Suzie's the greatest girl in the world."

"Well, this is for Max," Lucas said firmly. They brought their bikes to a stop in front of the Hargrove house. "Let me do the talking."

He and Dustin marched up the steps and knocked. And knocked. And knocked.

"See?" Dustin said. "He won't even answer the door. Jerk."

Lucas pounded harder. Billy finally yanked the door open, a cigarette in his mouth and loud music blaring from somewhere in the house.

"Maxine's not here," he snapped.

"I actually wanted to see you," Lucas said.

"You wanted to see me?" Billy repeated.

"Yes," Lucas said. "I, um, need someone to drive me to the mall and no one else with a car is around right now."

"You biked all the way over here to ask for a ride to the mall?" Billy said. He crossed his arms. "What's really going on here?"

Lucas drew in a deep breath. "Honestly, I just need a ride. I, um, kind of forgot to get Max a present for Valentine's Day."

Billy's reaction wasn't what either Lucas or Dustin were expecting. He laughed.

"She'll be pissed," he said.

"I know!" Lucas said. "So will you drive us? Please?"

Billy took a drag on his cigarette, and appeared to be thinking.

"Nope," he said finally. "I'm not driving you nerds anywhere. Got to get ready for my date."

Lucas felt Dustin tugging on his shirt and heard him hiss, "I told you!"

"But," Billy drawled, "I think I can still help you out. School parking lot, tomorrow at lunch."

"Really?" Lucas's eyes widened. "I mean, uh, thanks."

"Whatever," Billy said. "I just don't want to listen to Max bitch about this for the next six months. Now get lost."

Dustin's eyes were wide as they scrambled to their bikes.

"That was weird," he said. "Are we sure he's not possessed?"

"He's not possessed, Dustin, jeez," Lucas said. But he couldn't help wondering what was going to happen tomorrow.

*****

Lucas had purposely gotten to school a little late so that the only interaction he had with Max was a hurried, whispered "Hi" as he slid into his seat in class. He'd arranged for Dustin to distract her at lunchtime while he snuck out to the parking lot to meet Billy.

"Get in," Billy said.

Lucas climbed into the passenger seat. He decided Billy must have changed his mind and was taking him to the mall after all. But then Billy passed the road that would lead them out of Hawkins.

"Where are we going?" Lucas said.

"Harrington's," Billy said.

"Why?" Lucas said.

"His house is nicer than mine," Billy said.

"I meant, why are we going to anybody's house?" Lucas asked. "What about Max's present?"

"Settle down, Sinclair," Billy said. "I've got it all under control." He smirked. "You know, Harrington's a real romantic. When he heard about your situation he was practically begging to help."

"Great," Lucas muttered. "Does the whole town know?"

"Nope," Billy said. "Just Steve."

Lucas slumped in his seat. He was beginning to think he would never live this down.

*****

By the time they arrived at Steve's house, Lucas still didn't know what was going on. Billy went around to the trunk and pulled out what looked like an old bedsheet. He dumped it in Lucas' arms and then lifted a big box. Lucas didn't even ask what was inside. He figured he'd find out soon enough.

Steve answered Lucas' knock right away, trying and failing to hide a smirk.

"Dude," he said. "Forgetting Valentine's Day? You would have been dead meat."

"Yeah, yeah," Lucas said.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Harrington," Billy said in a smarmy voice, pushing past both of them with the box in his arms.

"Aww, _you_ remembered!" Steve said, batting his eyelashes comically. 

He and Billy both burst into laughter. Lucas scowled.

"Would you idiots care to let me in on the plan sometime today?" he said.

"This way," Steve said, stifling his laughter and leading them farther down the hallway.

He stopped next to a bunch of newspapers spread out on the floor. Billy set his box down and opened the flaps.

"There you go," he said.

Lucas dropped the sheet and peered into the box. He saw a couple cans of spray paint, two boxes of chocolates, and a big bouquet of flowers.

"Spray paint?" he asked.

"Yeah," Billy said. "Write your initials in a heart or some crap like that. Jesus, use your brain, Sinclair, do I have to do everything?"

Lucas unrolled the sheet and picked up one of the cans. "Wait, green? Shouldn't it be red or pink?"

"Yeah, green's not really romantic," Steve agreed.

"Well, green's really _all they had_ ," Billy snapped.

"Okay, whatever!" Steve held up his hands. "Why don't we give him some space? Lucas, you know where stuff is, but yell if you need anything."

They turned to leave, and Lucas was smoothing out the sheet when Billy looked back and shouted, "One more thing, Sinclair. Nothing inappropriate!"

When Billy and Steve were out of sight, Lucas shook his head. He really hoped Max appreciated this.

*****

Much to Lucas's amazement, everything finally came together. Steve had picked out a movie he thought Max and Lucas would both enjoy, and it was waiting in the VCR. Lucas had finished his banner and Steve and Billy had tacked it up over the doorway to the living room. The flowers and one box of chocolates sat on the coffee table.

When Billy left to pick up Max, Lucas waited anxiously by the door.

"Calm down," Steve said. "She'll be thrilled."

"I hope so," Lucas said.

"Come on," Steve said. "Help me make the popcorn."

Lucas followed Steve to the kitchen. As they waited for the kernels to heat up, he cleared his throat.

"Uh, thanks for helping with all this," he said. 

Steve shrugged. "Anytime. It was mostly Billy's idea anyway."

"Well, you guys really saved me," Lucas said.

They finished making the popcorn. Lucas carried the bowl out to the living room, along with a couple cans of soda, and looked around once more to make sure everything was perfect.

It wasn't long before they heard Billy's car pull into the driveway. Steve's front door slammed, and Max's loud, irritated voice drifted down the hall.

" - hell are we doing at _Steve's_ house?" she was saying.

"I told you," Billy said. "It's a surprise. Close your damn eyes!"

Steve and Lucas looked at each other and tried not to laugh as the scowling, squabbling stepsiblings stopped just outside the living room. Steve cleared his throat and nudged Lucas.

"Hi, Max!" Lucas said.

Max turned her glare from Billy to Lucas. Then she noticed the banner hanging over the doorway. Her mouth dropped open as she took in the large, bright green letters that spelled out Happy Valentine's Day Mad Max! Love, Lucas. She stepped inside the room and spotted the flowers and chocolate.

"Happy Valentine's," Lucas said.

"Oh," Max said.

She threw her arms around Lucas, hugging him tight.

"Happy Valentine's Day to you too, Stalker," she said. "I thought you forgot."

"Me? Forget?" Lucas chuckled. "Never."

"Okay, kids," Steve said. "The living room's yours. We'll be in the kitchen though, so don't get too carried away."

"Oh my god," Lucas said.

"Yes, mom," Max said at the same time, rolling her eyes.

Lucas took Max's hand, and then looked back over his shoulder and mouthed a quick Thanks in Steve and Billy's direction. Billy winked at him. Lucas smiled.

"Shall we?" he asked, gesturing to the couch.

They snuggled into the cushions together, and Lucas started the movie. As the opening credits played, Max leaned over to kiss him. Lucas twined his fingers through hers and returned the kiss.

After this, he thought, he would never forget Valentine's Day again.


End file.
